Tag



March 23, 1943.

W. FUHRMANN TAG Filed Dec. 29, 1941 INVENTOR u/7rmann W. %M a .Z 'w

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAG Warren Fuhrmann, Kearny, N. J.

Application December 29, 1941, Serial N0. 424,726 (GI. 40-21) 6 Claims.

This invention relateg 130 identification and priCe tags adapted to be removably attached to the person or article whioh it is desired to identify or price, and it is the principal object of the invention to provide a tag of this character which is readily attached and secured in attached condition to a person or article.

It has been the cornmon practice to provide tags of this character consisting 013 a body portion adapted to bear the printed matter embodying the identification or price information, and a securing tongue or tab integral with and extending from an edge of the body portion and having a heaol at the free end thereof adapted to be engagecl in an opening o1 slot in the body portion adjacent the tongue. In oraler to secure the head of the tongue in the opening in the body portion, the head is of greater Width than and extends transversely of the tongue and the opening in the body portion is of a length slightly greater than the width of the head and extends lengthvvise 011 the longitudinal axis of the tongue, so that it is necessary to twist the tongue about an axis of 90 degrees to engage the head thereof into the opening in the body portion of the tag and after the head has been passed through the opening, the tongue is permitted to assume its normal position. In another prior use, the portions of the head are folded upon themselves to permit insertion of the head into the opening in the body of the tag, and after the head has been passed through the opening, the folded portions are unfolded. In both of these prior structures, the engaging and securing of the tongue in the tag body requires additional effort and time, and tend to render the tag use- 1ess when it is required to remove and reattach the tag on another artiole by the twisting of the tongue or folding of portions of the head causing the destruction of the tongue body o1 head, respectively.

The present invention overcome5 the disadvantages of the prior tags by arranging the tag body with a pair of slots disposed in the body in stepped relation to each other and the longitudinal axis of a tongue or tab integral with and yond an end of the slot furthest from the toneue and secure the tongue in the slots. In this structure of a tag, the tongue is not twisted about an axis of degrees nor is the tongue head folded upon it5elf to insert the free end of the tongue in the opening in the tag body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tag Which is readily severed from a Web or strip of suitable material by a die of simple structure.

Other objectg and advantageg of the inventioh will be set forth in the detail description of the invention.

In the drawing accompa;nying and forming a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a tag forming the embo.diment of this inventio-n and in flat unattached condition.

Figure 2 is a view of the tag attached and seoured to anarticle, such as a ring.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the tag with a hook end of a tongue in position relative to a pair of slots in a body portion of the tag subsequently to the insertion of said hook end through the slots and prior to the positioning of the hook end in engagement with an end of the slot farthest from the tongue or in position to be rernoved from the slots.

In carrying out the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, there is proVided a one piece tag of flexible and endvvise stiff material, such as paper or Celluloid, comprising a body portion 4 of suitable shape, such as rectangular as shown 0r circular, depending upon the type of descriptive matter or notation t0 be printed thereon. One end of the-body 4 is arranged with a portion 5 of reduced Width integral with and extending from the body centrally of the longitudinal axis of the body. A tongue 01 -tab 6 of less width than the width of the reduced portion 5 is integral with and extends from said reduced Portion 5 centrally of the longitudinal axis of the body portion 4, and the width of the tongue is uniform for the greater part of the length of the tongue commencing from the reduced portion 5 and ending adjacent to the free end of the tongue by one longitudinal edge of the tongue extending inwardly toward the free end, as shown at l in Figure 1, and the opposite longitudinal edge having a hook portion 8 extending laterally from said edge at a point opposite to an intermediate section of the inwardly extending portion l, and both portions 1 and 8 merging with each other in a tapering or pointed portiou having a curved 7 or blunt end extending to one side of the longitudinal axis of the body portion 4, as shown at 9. The lateral extremity of the hook portion 8' is spaced from the opposed section of the inwardly extending portion 1 a distance substantially equal to the width 015 the body of the tongue 6.

The tag is attached to an article, such as a ring r shown in Figure 2, by bending the tongue 6 upon itself and around the article with the body portion 4 spaced from the article whereby the printed matter thereon may readily be observed, and the tongue is retained in this bent coi1dition by releasably securing the free end thereof to the reduced portion 5 of the tag. This purpose is accomplished by providing the reduced portion 5 with a pair of slots I and II of substantially the same length Which is greater than the width of the tongue 6 and said slots disposed in the reduced portion in parallel spaced relation to each other and in stepped relation to and transversely 01 the longitudinal axis of the body portion 4, so that the end portion I2 01 the slot 50 adjacent to the edge of the tongue having the hook portion 8 extends a greater distance from the longitudinal axis of the body portion 4 than the opposite end portion I3 of said slot II3 and the end portion I4 0f the slot II 0erresponding to the end portion I3 of the slot I0 extends a greater distance from said longitudinal axis than the opposite end portion I5 o.f the slot II corresponding to the end portion I2 of the slot I0, as shown in Figure 1. The slots I6 and I I are arranged on a transverse axis extending in an oblique direction and at an angle of approximately 10 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the body portion 4 of the tag. To facilitate the engagement of the free end 01 the tongue 6 into the slots I0 and II and effect an automatic locking 01 the hook portion 8 With the end I5 of the slot II, the end I2 of the slot I0 is disposed in the reduced portion 5 in alinement with the lateral extremity of the hook portion 8 and the opposite end I3 of the slot I0 is in alinernent with the longitudinal edge of the tongue 6 arranged with the inwardly extending portion I, and the end I5 of the slot I I is in ahnement with the longitudinal edge of the tongue 6 having the hook portion 8 and the opposite end I4 of the slot II extends beyond the longitudinal edge of the tongue 6 having the inwardly rxtending portion I, as shown in dotted lines in Figure l, Whereby the inwardly extending edge portion I of the tongue 6 Will engage the ends I3 and I4 of the slots I0 and II, respectively,

by moving the free end of the tongue 6 in a direction along the obliquely extending transverse center or axis of the slots I0 and II, and said engagement of the edge portion I With the slot ends I3 and I4 guiding the hook portion 8 freely past the ends I2 and I5 of the slots I0 and II, respectively, as shown in Figure 3. After the hook portion 8 is moved beyond the slot II, the tongue 6 is permitted to assume its normal position in alinernent with the longitudinal axis of the body portion 4 under the influence of the inherent tension of the material of the tag and said normal position of the tongue positioning the hook portion 8 to extend beyond the end I5 of the slot II and adapted to abut the juncture between said end I5 and the material of the reduced portion 5 when the free end of the tongue is moved rearwardly toward the slots and secure the tongu'e in the slots, as shown in Figure 2.

The removal of the tag from the article is acc'omplished by moving the free end of the tongue 6 to extend in an oblique direction in alinement with the transverse axis of the slots I0 and II With the edge portion I of the tongue engaging the ends I3 and I 4 of the slots I0 and II, respectively, as shown in Figure 3, and longitudinally moving the tongue rearwardly from the slots.

The tag body 4 may be of circular form with the tongue 6 integral with and extending directly from a peripheral portion of the body 4 t-hus eliminating the reduced portion 5, and the slots I0 and II are disposed in the circular body II in relation to the longitudinal axis and the edges of the tongue as stated hereinbefore relative to the longitudinal axis of the body portion and the longitudinal edges of the tongue.

The tag may be readily attached and secured to a person or other articles than the ring shown in the dravving loy engaging the tongue 6 in the button hole of a garment of a person or around the shank portions of articles, such as a chain ring of a Watch and a stem of drinking glasses.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A tag comprising a body portion and a tongue extending from and in the plane of the body portion and having at the free end a hook portion extending from a longitudinal edge thereof, and said bod portion being arranged with a pair of parallelly spaced slots disposed therein to extend transversely of and in stepped relation to the longitudinal axis of the tongue With the slot nearest the tongue having one end terminating in alinernent With the hook portion and the opposite end of said slot terminating in ahnement with the longitudinal edge opposite the longitudinal edge of the tongue arranged with the hook portion, and the slot farthest from the tongue having one end terminating in alinement With the longitudinal edge arranged with the hook portion and the opposite end of said farthest slot extending beyond the longitudinal edge opposite the longitudinal edge arranged with the hook portion, whereby the free end portion of the tongue is engaged in the slots by canting said end portion in alinement With the stepped relationship of the slots and the normal position of the tongue relative to the body portion positioning the hook portion of the tongue to extend beyond the second end cf the slot farthest f1om the tongue and retain the tongue in the slots.

2. A tag as claimed in clai.m l, wherein the longitudinal edge portion of the tongue opposite the hook portion declines toward the free end of the tongue to form a guiding edge for engaging the second ends of both slots and positioning the hook portion out of the path of the first ends of the slots during the insertion cf the free end portion of the tongue into the slots.

3. A tag comprising a body portion and a tongue extending from and in the plane of the body portion and having a pointed free end arranged with a hook portion extending from a longitudinal edge of the tongue, and said body portion having a pair of parallelly spaced slots disposed therein to extend transversely of and in -stepped relation to the longitudinal axis of the tongue, the slots being of substantially the same length greater than the width of the tongue and the slot nearest the tongue having one end terminating in alinement with the hook portion and the opposite end of said slot terminating in alinement with the longitudinal edge opposite the longitudinal edge of the tongue arranged with the hook portion, and the slot farthest from the tongue having one end extending beyond the longitudinal edge opposite the longitudinal edge of the tongue arranged with the hook portion and the opposite end 015 said farthest slot terminating in alinement with the longitudinal edge arranged with the hook portion, whereby the pointed end portion of the tongue is engaged in the slots by canting said pointed end portion in alinement with the stepped relationship of the slots and the tongue is retained in the slots by the tongue assuming its normal position relative to the body portion with the hook portion extending beyond the second end of the slot farthest from the tongue.

4. A tag comprising a body portion o1"; rectangular shape having at one end a portion of reduced width and a pair of slots arranged in said recluced portion to extencl transversely of and in stepped relation to the longitudinal axis of the body portion with one end portion of one slot extending a greater distance from a side of said axis and the opposite end of the other slot extending a greater distance from the opposite side of the longitudinal axis, and a tongue extending from the reduced portion centrally of the longitudinal axis of the body portion and having the free end pointed and diverging to one side of the longitudinal axis of the body portion and. a hook portion extending f1om the diverging portion of the free end, and the slot nearest the tongue having the end farthest from the longitudinal axis of the .body portion te'rminating in alinement with the hook portion ai1d the slot farthest from the tongue having the end nearest the longitudinal axis of the body portion terminating in alinemen't with the longitudinal edge of the tongue adjacent to the hook portion.

5. A tag as claimed in claim 4 wherein the slots are of substantially the same length, the tongue is of uniform width from the reduced body portion toadjacent the pointed end and said width is less than the length of the slots, anti the width of the pointed end cf the tongue at the hook portion is substantially equal to the width of the body of the tongue.

6, A tag as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transverse axis of the slots extends at an angle of approximately 10 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the body portion.

WARREN FUHRMANN. 

